Improvement in apparatus for preserving fruit



i. COPE.

Apparatus for Preservingfrui.

N0. 133,413. :Patented Blox/.26,1872V UNITED STATES PAT JOSEPH COPE, OF EAST FAIRFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING FRUIT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,413, dated November 26, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH COPE, of East Fairiield, in the county of Columbiana and in the Stat-e of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Preserving Fruit; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact dee scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a specification, in which Figure lis a perspective view of my device with the side and end walls removed so as to show its interior arrangement, and Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same upon a line extending from front to rear.

Letters of like name andv kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to enable fruit, meat, Snc., to be preserved for any reasonable length of time without injury in substance or flavor 5 and it consists principally in the peculiar construction of the house and the arrangement of its interior, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in the means employed for producing a circulation of air from beneath the storage-floor upward through the articles being preserved, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, further, in the means employed for producing a current of air from above the storage-door downward through the articles being preserved, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth. It consists, further, in the construction of the pipe, trap, or fastener, and its combination with the floor and with an adjustable pipe or trap, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown -and described. It consists, further, in the construction and combination of the air-flues and their heaters, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, nally, inthe device as a whole, when its several parts are constructed and combined substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

In the annexed drawing, A represents the door; B and B, the walls; and C, the roof of the building, which parts are constructed preferably double, and the space intervening lled with a suitable nonconductor of heat. The space between the door and roof is dividpart of this ed horizontally by means of a double floor, D, so as to form two compartments, E and F, the upper one of which, E, is intended for the heating and air-circulating apparatus, while the lower compartment, F, is to be used for the storage of perishable articles. Through the longitudinal center of the lower compartment F extends a passage-way, G, which is inclosed at its sides to a height of about four feet, and is entered at its ends through suitable rectangular openings b, that are provided in and through the walls B. The openings b `are inclosed and hermetically sealed by means of two doors or covers, H, which are slightly larger than the same, and, being placed upon opposite sides of said wall, are drawn inward so as to embrace the latter by means of a bolt, I, which passes horizontally through the centers of said doors, with its head upon the inner side and a nut upon the opposite or outer side. If desired, a clamp, t', may be placed beneath the boltahead and nut so as to transfer the strain from the center to near the edges of the doors. rlhe floor A, outside of the passage-way G, is composed of a series of bars, a, which are slightly arched, and extend transversely across the building. These bars are'arrangedin parallel lines and at suitable intervals, so that while permitting the free passage of air they shall not permit the fruit or other articles to be supported from falling through. Within the upper room orcompartment E are placed three or more stoves, K, which have any desired construction, and are each surrounded by a cylindrical metal casing, L, that has preferably a slightly conical form, and extends from thelloor D upward through the roof. Suitable openings are provided in and through the side of each casing for` the purpose of permitting access to the stoves, while from the top of each stove extends upward the usual exit-flue for the passage of the heated escapin gproductsof combustion. From the lower end of each casing a pipe or flue, M, extends downward through the door D, while from each of the end casiugs said lues M are continued downward through the lower compartment F and the lower iloor A, the arrangement of said pipes being such as to bring them within the passageway Gr. From near the vertical center of one of the outer casin gs, Il', a pipe or flue, N, extends horizontally inward and then downward through the floor D, while between the same and the central casingis provided another pipe, O, which is open at both ends, and extends from the lower cornpartment upward to or near the vertical center of the compartment E. At a point immediately above the pipe N the casing L' is provided with suitable means whereby itsgupper portion can be cut oil' and communication between its lower portion and the outer air prevented. As the pipes M', which extendbetween the doors A and l), will occasionally require removal, the upper end of eachis made of suficient size to enable it to pass over the end ofthe pipe M, while its lower end rests upon said floor A, and is held in place by means of thimble, P, which passes upward through a corresponding opening in the floor into said end.` At its lower end the thimble l? is secured to or upon one end of a iiat spring, Q, the opposite end of which is attached to the lower side of the iioor, and the whole s o arranged as to cause said spring to hold said thimble in position, except when purposely depressed, for which. operation a rod, q, is attached to said spring, and passes upward through said tloor. If, now, the rod q is pressed downward the thi-mble l? will be withdrawn from the end o f the pipe, and said end permitted to be moved outward, so as to enable said pipe to be withdrawn. The' lower end of each pipe or line which passes through the loorD is closed, when desired, by means ot a valve or stopper, R, that is secured to or upon one end ot' a flat spring, r, the opposite end of which is pivoted upon the lower side of said door, so as to enable said valve to be swung beneath or away from said pipes, against which, when in position, said valves are held by the` upward force or pressure of said springs. A number of openings, S, are provided inand through the foundation of the building, so as to admit the external air directly into the space beneath the floor, said openings being provided t with suitable valves for closing the same when desired.

The Vdevice is now complete, and is operated as follows: When rst placed within the house it is advisable that fruit should be wilted" in order that it may be in the best possible condition for preservation. To accomplish this result communication is effected between theleft-handand central heaters and the space beneath the lower floor, and fires y are started iu said heaters. The upward draft of the heater-casings now draws the damp, cold air from beneath thefruit-tloor, and causes ,downward current of heated air from the up- "p rfroom to pass through the pipe O into the th entiresurface of the fruit, and is finally x1 wnward through the same into said spac eneath` the ioor, and from thence `asses through said heater-casings to the out- 4I debt" Athe building. After a few hours the pipesMare to `beremoved from said heaters, the orrespondingthimbles P in. the floor close-d,

wer compartment, where it is dilused over throu gh thepipe-N, into the lower compartment,

from whence it will be drawn beneath the fruit, and again pass upward to said heater.

Air may be supplied to the upper room by doors, windows, registers, or any device deemed most desirable.

Should the outer air have `the desired temperature and relative humidity it may be admitted to the building, and drawn downward through the fruit without being heated, and thereby insure perfect ventilation of said fruit and the removal therefromv of all injurious odors. When the fruit is too much shrunken, and it is 'desired to restore lit to its original plumpness, damp air from without is admitted to the space beneath the fruit-floor, drawn upward through the fruit, and then discharged from or through the top ofthe building.

It will be readily seen thatA by making the dimensions of the air-passages variable at will the quantity and temperature ofthe air passing through the fruit can be regulated with exactness, by which means the condition of said fruit is placed entirely within the" operators control.

Although my improvements are more es pecially designed for use in connection with fruit-houses constructed separate from other buildings, it will be seen that they are equally applicable to the ventilation of cellars, and the preservation ot' their contents, or to the ventilation ot ordinary dwellinghouses.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits ot' my invention, what I claim as new l. The hereinbefore-described house, provid ed with the open Hoor A, the compartments E and F, the passage G, the doors H, and the air-passages S,-when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The means employed for producing an upward current ot' air through the fruit, con sisting of the stove or heater K, the casing L, and the pipe M', when constructed and arranged within the house, and combined with the space beneath the door and with the airpassages S, substantially as shown.

3. The means employed for producing a downward current of air through the fruit, consisting ofthe stove or heater K, the casing L, and the pipes M', N, and O', when constructed and combined with each other and with the house, substantially as set forth.

4. The means employed for locking in place and for releasing the pipe M', consisting-ot' -arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose shown.

In testimony that I claim the-foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this12th day ot' October, 1872. v

JOSEPH COPE. Witnesses:

JOSEPH KANNAL, J. J. GADWALADER. 

